Favourite Worst Nightmare by Arctic Monkeys

A more serious album than their debut, on its release Favourite Worst Nightmare seemed to succeed in keeping their energy whilst broadening their sound a little, yet in retrospect it sounds anything but essential. Like 2nd albums from Franz Ferdinand and the Strokes, the near perfection of the debut vision saw album number two as having the right moves, but not the songs.

Musically its fine enough, their energetic but economic guitar combo sound augmented with some spaghetti western turns, and an ever-willingness to rock in a way that few indie bands really achieve. Yet singles Brianstorm and Flourescent Adolescent aren’t quite as strong as the debut. Alex Turner would shortly broaden his palate with the Last Shadow Puppets and they remained, and remain in the first division of British alternative bands, but in many ways they’ve become just another band.